Casing spider



C. A. BUTLER CASING SPIDER April! 9, 11929.

' Filed June 17, 1927 w Mu 1% 5% Patented Apia 9, 1925. I I I CHARLES A.BUTLER, F OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA.

CASING srrnnn.

Application filed June 17, 1927. Serial No. 199,534. This inventionrelates to in'iprovement-s in ing raised and lowered and to accomplishthis casing spiders, and more particularly to the guiding by fixing therelationship of the construction of and operatingmechanism tor clampingblocks to the base blocks of the such spiders. spider itself.

Casing spiders are employed in the opera- With these and other objectsin view I have tions of lifting and lowering well casings, illustratedone form of my invention on the particularly in the oil fields, wherethe indiaccompanying drawings, in which:

vidual lengths of casing are heavy, and where Figure 1 is an elevationof the spider showa well casing may weigh several hundred tons ing theparts in clamping position in full 10 a a wh l It i necessary t have afirm suplines and in releasing position in dotted lines.

port for the separate lengths or casing, as they Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the spider in clampare being raised and lowered, and particularmgposition. ly while they are being coupled together, or Fig. 3 is adetail on a larger scale showing supported one from another. It isessential the interlocking relationship of the lateral 15 that thiscoupling and uncoupling operation and end clamping blocks, with theguide should be accomplished easily and quickly: bolts, away from thebase block. and yet a firm support must be accorded the This spider iscomposed of the base block remaining length of easing during the scpal0which has a central aperture of conical ration of the topmost section.In view of the erm thcrcthrough, convergin downwardly 20 (r 'gaf, ioht fth casin itself it is neces to receive the clam in blocks and force and7) a P) 7 h Sally t l y wedge blocks, the so-called guide them inwardagainst the casing as the slips, to hold the casing lengths whichthemhlS move downwardly. This base block Selves are strong d h y, a d it i f dis formed with vertical sides, which extend that these slips may weighover eight-hunbeyond the proper wall of the central aper- 25 dred poundsper set. It is likewise necessary t t0 fOJm the g' at each 113V todesign the spider so that it may be firmly mg a space between them inwhich projects supported over and around the mouth of the e lugs 10which are spaced from thefioor ll, d so that it may b q i kl l d section10 of the base block proper to form av d d, I notch 10 (Fig. 1) at eachend into which may 30 According to the present invention such abecngaged lifting links 10 or thelike in case easing id r i r vid d withla i g it s des red to lift the casing by means of the blocks adapted towedge between the casing Spider, 111 which event bolts may be droppedand a-conical'wall of the spider base where 'mlgh the apertures 10 inthese lugs to by tosupport the casing in the well by engageprevent theslippage of the lifting; links. mentadjacent its top,so thataturtherlength q e, these h1g may be employed for y b e t d r di t dily, A moving the spider into and out of position at ery imple and efiicient construction 131310- the ll'lOlltll Of the well. Will thus beseen vided which may be operated by a single atthat the base block islit-shaped in horizontal tendant and which causes the clamping blocks$6Cti0n,fl10 Vertical a ls 1 and 10* Constitut- 40 to engage the casingequally at all sides, and 694 Of the H nd he P ItiOII Surassists incentering the casing; by eltectingthe rounding the downwardly convergingcentral single uniform upward and downward movep e constituting the ossbar of the ment or" the clamping lug. The ba e block f thwhile the floorsections 10 brace and supthe spider is simple in form, but so arranged PthO Vertical Walls With respect 0 0118 that its parts mutually supporteach other another and the central portion.

and provide a firm seat for the clamp blocks It is preferred to providetransverse bars and operating mechanism, and yet which may 10 by whichthe spider may be transported be supported on suitable timbersat thewell. and manufactured b hand.

niouthzand further it is provided with means Pivotally m unted on thebase block 10 whereby in case of need the spider itself may by the bolts11 are the link arms 12 which are be employed to raise the casing.Another obpivoted by bolts 13 at their upper ends to the ject istoprovide positive guides for the torlred ends 14 ot' the'hand lever 15.This movement of the respective blocks while behand lever has anoutwardlyextending prong base block 10, as shown inFig. 3.

' of approximately to receive the sleeve 16 of the detachable handle 17.The forks l l are provided at their respective outer sides with a pivotbolt 18 which passes through an eye 19bit the respective fork 14L andthrough the eyes of the lifter links 20, 20 which project at each sideof the central aperture of the base block 10.

Conically tapered stop lugs 21 are provided on each fork 14 to supportthe links 20,20 and enable them to raise the weight of the spiderclamps. A' safety chain 22 is connected at the outer end of therespective link 20 and to a, pin 23 on the base block 10, andpreventsthe link 20 being raised so far that the guide "pins hereinaftermentioned are pulled from their guide holes. 7 The free ends of thelinlrs'20 are connected by bolts 24 to the lateral spider clamp blocks25, which each approximate a quadrant in di- ,mension, and are providedwith a quartercylindrical internal surface which may le .with theextending fins 26which are received in the suitably formed recesses 27,of the end blocks 28. These end blocks 28 are likewise a quadrant indimension, and are formed with toothed cylindrical inner surfaces andconical outer surfaces.

The upper ends of the clamping blocks 25, 28 are formed respectivelywith projecting lugs 29 to receive the guide bolts 30 which are securelylocked to the respective blocks 25, 28 by the pins 31 (Fig. 2). Theseguide bolts are engaged in holes extending through the base blocks 10from top to betthe holes being inclined, and are di posed at such anangle that the axis of each is parallel with the adjacent generatrix ofthe cone which lies in the diametral plane passing through the axis ofthe centralaperture in the base'block 10, and through the center of therespective block 25 or 28. As illustrated, two parallel guide bolts 30are provided on each of the lateral segments 25 and one such guide bolton each of the end segments 28.

It is necessary that the clamping block should move relatively outwardfrom the axis ofthe casing by a distance of around one inch, foreach'block in its outward radlal movement with respect to the casingaxis, in

order "that the clamping block shall have moved far enough from thecasing so that the casing couplings may slip freely'downward. Itispreferred that the angles of the bolts'and ofthe inner surface of thewall of the central aperture of the base block should be around sevenand one-half degrees, since this has been found excellent 1n practice:although it is obvious that other angles may be employed.

'In operation, the handle 17 is depressed into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 1, whereby the free ends of the links 20 are raisedinto the position likewise shown in dotted lines, drawing with'themthelateral clamping blocks 25, which are guided upwardly and outwardlyby their respective guide .bolts 3.0, the links 20 swinging about theirpivot bolts 18 into the position indicated by dotted lines at the top ofFig. 2, the pivots l8 and the looseness of the bolts 2% permitting thisfree movement of the links 20, this movement being facilitated. by theconical shape of the supporting lugs 21. Atthe same 'time, the lever 15rocks toward thejcasing aperture upon the supporting, links 12, so thatthe pivot bolt 24 is permitted to move upward and outward without anymovement from right to left or vice versa in Fig. 1. The guide bolts 30draw the respectivebloeks 25 outward and away from the axis of theaper-.

ture. As the blocks 25 moveupward, the enqa 'ement of their extensions26 in the recess 27likewise raises the end clamping blocks 28, which arelikewise guided upwardly and away from the axis f the'central apertureby their respective bolts 30, until finally the blocks are in theposition in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position, the lever 20 holdsthe blocks ready for receiving the casing, and a limitation is imposedupon the movement of the lever, which in conjunction with tlie safetychains 22, prevents a lifting of the blocks 25, 28 out of theiroperative positions.

' A length of casingmay now be-lowered through the enlarged spacebetween the clamping blocks 25, 28 until the coupling is a few inchesabove the tops of the raised clamping blocks 25, 28. The hand lever 17is then raised, so that the free ends ofthe links 20 are lowered and theclampingblocks 25, 28

are permittedto return by gravity. These blocks-25, 28 are guided intheir return movement by their respective'bolts 3Q'and move inwarduniforinlyand engage the P1136 and support it axially alined in thecentral aperture, by reason'of their guiding by the bolts 30 and by theengagement of their conical outer surfaces withthe conical internalsurface of the wall of this central aperture. The movement of theseblocks is 'uni form andsimultaneous, so that one block does not movefaster than'the other and there is no i tendency to crush or distort'thecasing.

, A new length of easing isnow screwed into the connection of thesupporting casing, and

' when this has occurred, the blocks are raised as before so that thecasing lifter may lower the new length of easing into the well, with afree passage of the coupling" through the spider, and then the spider isagain brought into action to fix the new length just beneath its owncoupling, and so. on. r The device is simple and efficient, and may bereadily operated by a single attendant.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the specific form ofemployment illustrated, but that it may be modified within the scope ofthe appended claims.

lVhat is claimed as new is:

1. In a casing spider, a base having a central downwardly convergenttapered aperture therein, the walls of said aperture having passagestherethrough parallel to wall elements of the said tapered aperture,slip blocks to engage the walls of said aperture to clamp the wellcasing, bolts secured to said slip blocks and slidable in said passageswhereby to guide said slips inwardly and outwardly during their downwardand upward movement, a slip lifting lever mounted on ahorizontal pivot,lateral lifter links pivotally mounted on said lever so that their freeends are supported opposite and adapted to move relatively outward awayfrom the axis of said aperture, and connections between said links andsaid slip blocks to raise and lower the said slip blocks, said lifterlinks following the inward and outward movement of the slip blocks intheir downward and outward movement.

2. In a casing spider, a base block having a downwardly convergenttapered aperture therein, quadrant slip blocks fitting said aperture,supporting links pivoted on said base block, a lifting lever pivoted onsaid supporting links, laterally swinging and raising links moving withsaid lever in its lifting movement, and connections between said raisinglinks and diametrally opposite quadrant blocks, said diametrallyopposite blocks having means whereby to raise the intermediate blocks,the swinging of said raising links permitting the free outward andinward movement or said blocks.

3. In a casing spider, a base block, slip blocks to clamp the casing,guide means to cause the slip blocks to move away from the casing inproportion to their raising movement, and means to raise and lower theslip blocks including a lever pivoted to move in a vertical plane,lifter links pivoted on said lever to move away from said vertical planeduring the raising and outward movement of the slip blocks, and meansfor connecting said lifter links and said slip blocks.

4. In a casing spider, a base comprising a central apertured portion toreceive slip blocks, vertical upstanding walls formed integrally withsaid central portion and spaced one from another, and floor sectionsformed integrally with said portion and vertical walls, said verticalwalls and floor sections extending away from said central portion andconstituting supporting and bracing means therefor.

5. In a casing spider, a base of substantially H-shaped horizontalsection, the central bar of the H having a downwardly substantiallyconical aperture therein to receive slip blocks, floor sectionsconnecting the lateral walls forming the legs of the H, said floorsections supporting and bracing the said lateral walls and constitutinga support by which the base may be supported adjacent the mouth of thewell.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES A. BUTLER.

